Page 48 of Taken By the Duke of Stone

"Yes, she is."

There was an undertone his easy reply and when she glanced over, her eyes met his. The room disappeared around her till itwas just the both of them and the siren song flowing through them. The way he looked at her in that moment, if she could have bottled it up and sold it, she would have been able to buy the whole of England with the proceeds.

It was a look that flayed her open and left her raw and vulnerable, and yet it didn't cause any discomfort. On the contrary, it settled her, her heart rate slowing to something languid.

His hands finally shifted fully over hers, fingers tangling with hers. She glanced down at where his snowy white gloves and her milk colored ones were intertwined.

She only turned back to the stage when a deafening applause and cheers went up around the room. Most of the guests still felt entrapped by the after effect of the song and were slow to clap.

Lavinia couldn't even move to clap, she could only stare, trying to come down from the high The Sirius' voice had pushed her up to.

"So, what do you think about the Opera?"

She raised her hand and touched the wetness on her cheeks, "It was- oh my, I do not have the words."

"My reaction exactly the first time I heard her. It's a transcendent experience."

"And I'm pleased and grateful you gave me the opportunity to experience it for myself."

"Please," he smiled, "The pleasure is all mine."

After that, they sat there in perfect silence, fingers locked together in the darkness of the Opera house, neither of them wanting the night to end.

CHAPTER 15

"Oh sweetheart, you look perfect," Aunt Felicity cooed as Lavinia reached the bottom of the stairs.

Lavinia looked down at the new red dress Madame Vandeleur had made for her. The dress was truly a work of art and she now believed all of the fuss about the Frenchwoman.

She had succeeded in making her look sensual.

The red fabric clung to her body and had a low square neckline that showed off her cleavage. It had small cap sleeves, a high waistline and it split open to reveal an inner paler red fabric. Her lady's maid had also done wonders with her hair, twisting it into a complicated updo woven with jewelry that glittered in her hair. The white kid gloves that stretched up above her elbows made a startling contrast with the white.

She had taken care with her appearance tonight and the dress gave her a necessary boost of confidence.

And it wasn't because of the Duke. She was just in the mood to dazzle tonight. That was all.

"Thank you, Aunt."

"You seem rather excited to be going to the ball tonight," Lady Hartfield slanted her a sly glance, "I vividly you remember dragging your heel against being forced to wear uncomfortable corsets and associate with theton."

Her cheeks went ruddy, "what can I say? I have become accustomed to the life."

"Accustomed," her aunt echoed, a dimple peeking out of one cheek, "are you sure it has nothing to do with a certain duke?"

She cleared her throat and tried to look anywhere but at the knowing eyes staring at her, "I still think the entiretonand the stifling rules are ridiculous."

With a chuckle and a glance that told Lavinia that her aunt had clearly noted her quick topic change and she was hardly done with the topic, she turned for the front door. "Well, soon you shall be a duchess and then, you may choose the rules you wish to follow."

"I hardly think I shall be free to ride through the park in breeches and seated astride. As a matter of fact," Lavinia continued while trailing the other woman out of the house, "I believe that there shall be even more rules for me to follow. Ihave never been so ogled in my life as I have been these past few days. How then am I expected to be anything but perfect while I am being so closely watched? It is enough to drive one insane."

Lady Hartfield shook her head fondly, "only you, Lavvie, would dare complain about becoming a duchess."

"I am sure all of the duchesses of the world have all complained at one time or another," she shrugged.

Her aunt chuckled, "in that case, let us be on our way then or we may be past being fashionably late."

Noah gaped at her as he stumbled upon them in his own evening clothes, "God, Lavvie, you look- you look-"

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